Bishop David Ngari alias Gakuyo was on Monday charged with conspiring to defraud members of Ekeza Sacco over Sh 1 billion.
Gakuyo was appeared before Magistrate BenMark Ekhubi accompanied by a battery of lawyers led by Advocates Danstan Omari and Ndegwa Njiru.
It is alleged that between 2015 and 2018, Gakuyo colluded with others not before court to steal Sh1, 052,746,094 from members of the Ekeza Sacco.
He was further charged with obtaining money by false pretenses where he is accused of defrauding different members of the Sacco different amounts of money under varied circumstances related to land sale and joint investments.
In another count, the prosecution claim that he conned conned a self-help group – Step by Step welfare association of Sh553, 050 at the Sacco’s offices in Ruai by falsely pretending he was in a position to sell them a parcel of land in Kilimambongo, in Kiambu County.
Gakuyo was charged with a total of 12 counts all relating to the fraud at Ekeza where he is alleged to be a director.
However, through lawyer Omari Gakuyo distanced himself from Ekeza saying he is not the director.
He declined to plead to the charges read out to Ekeza Sacco which is the second accused saying he will only plead to his.
Omari told court that their client was not the director so he would not plead on behalf of the Sacco.
However, state counsel Henry Kinyanjui told the court that Gakuyo is a director and he should plead to the charges.at the
Kinyanjui sought a warrant to be issued for the Sacco to be arrested but Omari said the warrant was not necessary as there was no bond compelling the Sacco to appear in court to answer to any charges and it was not aware that it was required in court.
Gakuyo pleaded only to his counts and the court issued summons to Ekeza to appear on March 8.
He was released on very stringent bond terms by the court due to the serious and amount involved.
He was directed to pay a Sh 10 M cash bail and provide two contact persons and one of them must be a government employee.
In the alternative, he has was also given a Sh 20 M bond and two sureties.
